Goaltender Martin Ouellette Recalled to Lehigh Valley

Reading, PA – The Reading Royals of the ECHL, affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League and the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the American Hockey League, today announced that goaltender Martin Ouellette has been recalled to the Phantoms from the Royals. In a separate transaction, goaltender Connor Knapp has been loaned from Lehigh Valley to Reading.

This marks the fourth call-up of the season for Ouellette, a first year pro from Saint-Hippolyte, Quebec, who was loaned to Reading most recently on January 29. Ouellette is currently riding a personal four game win streak with the Royals. He made a team season-high 45 saves in last Friday’s 5-4 win over the Florida Everblades and followed that with a 36-save performance against the Everblades in a 3-2 shootout win on Sunday, which included stopping eight of nine in the shootout. Ouellette, who has won ten of his last twelve games with the Royals and is 12-2-1-1 in his last sixteen games with Reading, has compiled an overall record of 14-6-1-1 in twenty-two games in the ECHL and has registered a 2.77 goals against average and a .913 save percentage with one shutout. Ouellette has appeared in six games with Lehigh Valley, compiling a record of 3-2-0-0 with a 2.55 GAA and a .911 save percentage.

Knapp, a third year pro from Rochester, New York, was recalled to Lehigh Valley on Sunday and served as the back-up goaltender to Anthony Stolarz in the Phantoms’ 5-4 overtime win against the Hershey Bears that day. Knapp, who was named the ECHL’s Goaltender of the Week for January 26 – February 1, has won seven straight games for the Royals. He made a personal season-high 42 saves in a 2-1 win over the Wheeling Nailers last Wednesday and followed that with a twenty-seven save victory over Florida on Saturday. Knapp, who has won eleven of his last thirteen games with the team, leads the Royals with sixteen wins (16-7-0-0) in twenty-five appearances. He has also pushed his personal numbers to a season-best 2.85 goals against average and a .907 save percentage.

NEXT UP FOR THE ROYALS

Reading Royals v Cincinnati Cyclones

@ US Bank Arena – Cincinnati, OH

Wednesday, February 11, 2015 (7:30 pm)

NEXT UP: The Royals head on the road for a five game road trip starting at US Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio, where the Royals will take on the Cincinnati Cyclones on Wednesday (February 11 @ 7:30 pm). As with all road games for the Royals, Wednesday’s game will be televised live locally in Berks County, Pennsylvania on BCTV courtesy of Boscov’s Travel and Apple Vacations. Wednesday’s game day broadcast can be heard live in the Reading area on CBS SportsRadio (1240 am and 98.5 fm) beginning with the pre-game warm-up show presented by Highmark Blue Shield at 6:35 pm. Streaming internet audio is also available free of charge and can be accessed by following the ‘headset’ icon on the Royals’ website. Streaming video is available on a pay-per-view basis through ECHL.TV. For more information about the Royals, call 610-898-7825 or log onto www.royalshockey.com.

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